Video on New Serve System

[Dan]

So we have all heard about the possible new rule change on services. The new serve system is a new idea where the player who lost the previous point will serve. This concept is that the weaker player would have a better chance against a stonger opponent which makes the sport more intense and closer.

Its is belived this approach was adopted by the Latvia Table Tennis Federation to the ITTF. Below is the first test tournament which was in association with the ITTF.

The first set is between Estonia`s rank 2 Aleksandr Smirnov (world [SIZE=-1]521)[/SIZE] and Lithuanias`s rank 3 Kestutis Zeimys (world [SIZE=-1]544)[/SIZE]. The match is from the Baltic Championships (held every year between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania).

The final set here: discuss below what you think of this new innovation to the sport. Will it have a huge impact on the game if it was certified by the ITTF?

 

[harrybelafonte]

just call it badminton and be done with it

 

[Mikeh.95]

whatever, this is a stupid new concept xD

 

[Bollforte94]

service - weak players will have a disadvantage
players who are good at receiving will have an an advantage
=> service and receive gets even more important?

Am I right?

 

[arhabib]

What is next?
Maybe the points won by the weaker player are multiplied by two to make the sport more intense!?
Serve is part of this game, if a player cannot read the spin to return the serve, he doesn't deserve winning!

 

[TTInsanely]

I think the way it is now it is ok because it is simple and fair for both players with regulary services.

 

[WiWa]

Pretty stupid concept. It makes it practically impossible to make a decent service-receive plan during a game, for example when you are a couple of points behind. In the current situation you know you have a chance of scoring 2 points on your own serve by taking some risk, narrowing the gap. With this concept you only get to serve twice when your first service fails to get you a point. It does give the weaker player the advantage, but that is not something you should want. It is unfair to the stronger player. And it is most unfair to those with a weak service Imagine losing 11-0 because your opponent crushed all your serves

 

[Dan]

Pretty stupid concept. It makes it practically impossible to make a decent service-receive plan during a game, for example when you are a couple of points behind. In the current situation you know you have a chance of scoring 2 points on your own serve by taking some risk, narrowing the gap. With this concept you only get to serve twice when your first service fails to get you a point. It does give the weaker player the advantage, but that is not something you should want. It is unfair to the stronger player. And it is most unfair to those with a weak service Imagine losing 11-0 because your opponent crushed all your serves

That is very true! That would be humilating and I think new comers coming into the sport may feel very daunted by the fact that their opponent will never serve. I cannot see this being introduced, it would have such a substantial impact on the game. I don't mind ball changes but this is altering the dynamics of the game.

 

[Dan]

I think the way it is now it is ok because it is simple and fair for both players with regulary services.

Nicely said.

More categories should be impressed in tournaments if they want to make matches more close and intense. At elite level I can't see this working fair. Imagine with Ma Lin, a player who is extremely good. Lets say Ma Lin is 9-5 down in points against Timo Boll. Ma Lin would have the next 4 serves to make a comeback. And as we all know, Ma Lin generally wins the point on his serves

Hmmm its a difficult one

 

[Dan]

just call it badminton and be done with it

Harry how are the rules in Badminton? Does a server in badminton have a huge advanatge? I.e the advantage you have on a serve in table tennis? Is it similar?

 

[rhonis]

haha i just watched the video and after 1.5 minute i figured out what was wrong. I was looking towards the toss and stuff... Well i think if you do this you can indeed call it badminton or volleyball. And what will be next is that you can only score a point when you have the service (like volleyball 5 years ago).

 

[Mr. RicharD]

This would defeat the purpose of changing the first 2 service rules. Why change it from 21 points to 11 and from hidden service to no hidden if you put emphasis on the return of service rather than the service. The stronger player would win all of his services because frankly he'd only be able to serve once. This system allows for no come backs and no emphasis on service, but rather emphasis on the return of service.

Players would dislike this a lot I think because the games would take longer if the weaker player was serving the majority of the time and the stronger player would not be allowed to continue his momentum without service. This would also probably upset the top players because the training that they've been working on would need to be shifted to a return of service only. Vladi's service would no longer matter, the same with MLin and ZJK, excluding the top 3 players WH, MLong, ZJK the rest of the rankings would really compete more for their spots as they don't attack the service as well as the top 3.

 

[WiWa]

This would defeat the purpose of changing the first 2 service rules. Why change it from 21 points to 11 and from hidden service to no hidden if you put emphasis on the return of service rather than the service. The stronger player would win all of his services because frankly he'd only be able to serve once. This system allows for no come backs and no emphasis on service, but rather emphasis on the return of service.

Players would dislike this a lot I think because the games would take longer if the weaker player was serving the majority of the time and the stronger player would not be allowed to continue his momentum without service. This would also probably upset the top players because the training that they've been working on would need to be shifted to a return of service only. Vladi's service would no longer matter, the same with MLin and ZJK, excluding the top 3 players WH, MLong, ZJK the rest of the rankings would really compete more for their spots as they don't attack the service as well as the top 3.

Good point about the comebacks. If you are 10-6 down in this system, you need to make 4 straight points on the opponents serve. If you can serve 4 times at your gamepoint or matchpoint, you can just pull out 4 very risky hard serves. You only need to have one of them work in order to score a point.

 

[Matt Hetherington]

It's ridiculous, the whole game is based around a few key areas of service, first receive, first attack and first block/counter. They are the base of any good player to have perfected and for good reason, service is probably the most important tactical tool a player has to determine the outcome of the match, why are we sympathising for the weaker player, this is sport! if the player can't win they should train more not be given advantage. I think it's tragic that they seem to be going for more radical changes to the game in recent times.

 

[ttmonster]

I agree with you Matt , on the flip side we can use this rule ourselves to improve service return in practice games ..... its simply too ridiculous to have as a standard point system .... I don't think any other sport has that .... volleyball lets you to keep on serving till you get broken and same in badminton .. which is the other way round ( not sure if they have made any changes recently , haven't been following those sports for a while now )

 

[waldner4ever]

Please....someone tells me that this is a joke!!!!
the worst rule I've ever heard of...this means that service will be no more an area of our game on which we should spend to much time practicing! but rather focusing on rallies. How about introducing a draw result with judges that would give scores and decide the outcome of the match? Where are we heading??!!

It is sad that we even are having this debate. Table tennis is the only sport in which rules has been changed so drastically, look at tennis (even with the odd point system 15-30-45...), soccer (no use of video replay period), I cannot think of another sport which had been trough so many rules changed, this is so annoying...Let us play Table Tennis the way it was (or i should say "is" now ) meant to be played!!

 

[nightwolf34]

EPIC FAIL, total nonsense

 

[dici]

Harry how are the rules in Badminton? Does a server in badminton have a huge advanatge? I.e the advantage you have on a serve in table tennis? Is it similar?

The serve rule in badminton is like play the double in TT, but basically, it is totally different story. The winner of a point will serve next. It will be serve alternately at left and right for each point, to the diagonal direction (like how we do in double, but only from right hand side).

Since badminton serve has only short and long serve, without any spin. Usually the server has no any advantage at all. And this may also same as for the receiver.

 

[WiWa]

The serve rule in badminton is like play the double in TT, but basically, it is totally different story. The winner of a point will serve next. It will be serve alternately at left and right for each point, to the diagonal direction (like how we do in double, but only from right hand side).

Since badminton serve has only short and long serve, without any spin. Usually the server has no any advantage at all. And this may also same as for the receiver.

I think you are right. Service isn't as important in badminton or volleyball as in TT. In volleyball you get to be the first to set up a smash if you are the receiving team. So unless the serve causes real trouble to the other team, it is a disadvantage. But I might be wrong about the importance since I don't know much about those sports, but this is what I would think

 

[YosuaYosan]

Hehe got quite a good discussion out there @ OOAKForum about this.
I would be ok with the change, however new adaptations will need to be made.